1992 Polaroid SLR 680 SE.

As covered in some of my previous Polaroid entries, peel-apart film though still available, its range is steadily decreasing. Such is life in the modern world. So, the SLR 680 & 690 make a good alternative for those wanting to enjoy the creativity of instant photography. Unfortunately, Type-600 film does not respond to manipulation like SX-70 `Time Zero` film, so that avenue of expression has gone too. Sniff.

The SLR 680 was available from 1982 through to about 1994, first as the plain-Jane 680, then as the SLR 680 SE. Though I’ve looked for manual shutter & exposure control on my SE, the only difference I can see is with the name.

The 690 followed the SLR 680 in some markets, and being made in Japan, it was also on sale here until at least 2005, well after distribution stopped elsewhere in the world. Due in part to their ability to use readily available Type-600 film, MiB examples of the last-of-the-range 690s command prices approaching USD1000. During its last days, the 690 sold in Japan for JPY98,000, the present day equivalent of about USD1000. Reasonable examples of the 680 and 690 can be found in Tokyo shops, and in on-line auction houses for JPY30,000 - JPY50,000.

If you are however prepared to trawl second-hand shops, garage sales, and other places that sell old sundries, both can be had for well under USD100. Like the rest of their sister SX-70s, the 680 & 690 have a 116mm lens / f8 glass lens. Shutter speeds are controlled electronically to coincide with auto aperture selection from f8 to f22. I assume the smaller apertures are used when flash is engaged. The flash autofocuses for closer subjects.

Normal Focused Flash.

Close Focused Flash.

While later model SX-70s use a rather nice split-image focusing system (them being largely manual), the 680/690 uses a flat ground-glass focus screen. Not nearly as sexy perhaps, but with the sonar autofocus engaged, it’s a 100% accurate solution. Like the Auto Sonar SX-70, both the 680 and the 690 have a switch to disengage the mechanical autofocus cog from the focus wheel, and in doing so, you can obtain full manual control of focus. This switch re-engages to ‘On’ mode when the camera is closed, as does the Light/Dark control too if you move it off-center…

Manual Focus Switch - SLR 680 SE.

The sonar autofocus makes a great mechanical whirr noise that adds to the very 1970s camera experience. Though, with the print eject noise, it does make this type of camera not very effective for stealthy street work. It is more a party machine, and judging by the millions of photographs of this type on websites, that is something it does rather well too.

Unlike the normal 600-series cameras, the SLR 600s eject their photographs in the SX-70 stealth mode, from an indiscernible slot in the base cover. My 680 is popular at parties too, and often catches unfamiliar users with the photograph ejecting into their ill-prepared fingers. With the scare, no one has dropped the camera yet though…

Both SX-70 film and Type-600 film (named I assume as everyone knows after their ISO values) have gone through a number of improvements. SX-70 to `Time Zero` version for example, and Type-600 with a variety of variations to its borders, a matte version, a write-on version, a B&W, and a sepia version too.

The present version of Type-600 film is thinner too than the original version. Grain is finer, development artifacts less, and color rendition too is more accurate - all of which demonstrate Polaroid’s process of continual improvement, and to a certain extent the elimination of Type-600’s Polaroidness; the sweetness of muted colors and ambient temperature-based color shifts.

600-series film - 1980.

600-series film - 2007.

While the high-end consumer SLRs are no longer manufactured, Polaroid continues to make other 600-series cameras. The Spectra or 1200-series are also still available in Japan, as are a range of professional cameras, including the Macro SLR 1200 range; used for medical, scientific and legal purposes. Just as easy as digital photographs can be manipulated, evidence integrity guidelines are easier to maintain with Polaroid integral film - as a result, the manufacture of at least one type of integral film should remain on Polaroid’s agenda for at least another few days.

Arigato.

Polaroid 600 SE `Professional` - The Bus.

However, if you want to ditch your automatic, and want something that allows full manual control over your Polaroid photography, then the 600 SE is a great alternative to the 180/190/195 series cameras.

If you still want to go for a 195, check out: Polaroid 195

The 600 SE has a great bright-image, coincident rangefinder, with adjustable framelines for the native 127mm and 150mm lenses. Lenses available are:

• 75mm f5.6 (`wide`), with auxiliary viewfinder.
• 127mm f4.7.
• 150mm f5.6 (`portrait`).

I’ve not seen or heard of any other lenses fitting the SE body. Note the difference between the 600 SE and the plain-jane 600 is the lens interchangeability.

Lens comparison photographs follow, all shot with Fuji FP-400B (f16 at 1/60s), on nothing much more interesting than my street (or one a few streets away if you’re an internet stalker), as I could not be bothered lugging three lenses anywhere further – did I mention everything is very heavy?

75mm.

127mm.

150mm (and my neighbor).

While the 75mm has half the focal length of the 150mm, it lacks the wide wideness I was after. Still, each lens still has enough individuality, and one or two should make any SE shooter happy.

75mm for wide-mode.

The 75mm aux finder, with its curious parallax compensation dial (which tilts the finder, from parallel to down as the focus gets closer), is accurate and represents the film image very well.

Aux Finder.

None of the 600 SE lenses are as fast as the 195’s f3.8, but this is small loss of functionality compared to the benefits of the multi-lens system, and being able to swap film types mid-shoot.

I do miss the depth-of-field the 195 makes at f3.8, but with ISO400 and ISO3000 B&W film freely available, the speed loss is not too much of an issue.

The SE can also be fitted with 120-format back, and the holy grail, a sheet film adapter (such as the 545/545i/545pro), to allow me to continue to shoot Polaroid pos/neg film, as Type-55 will soon be the only type available (with Type-665, and Type-85 no longer being made). Extension tubes (I’ve seen two lengths), and a ground glass back are also available for macro work.

545 Back.

It does not accept square format pack film, like the 195 does, only rectangular stuff (from Fuji or Polaroid). Flash-synching of some sort is available too, but I do not use that.

It also has two tripod mounts, one for portrait and one for landscape orientation. This is needed, as tilting your tripod head horizontal with the SE sitting sideways, is a sure way to break even Manfrotto carbon legs – the SE is that heavy.

Tripod Mounts.

No metering is provided. If you’re going to carry one around, make sure you’ve got one of those nice fat foam carry straps, as the SE can sometimes feel quite heavy.

Thick frame lines contribute to weight.

Problems? Did I mention it weighs a lot?

Changing backs in the field is an OK process, but with my set being the later model (with the external plastic catch), not the early (internal wire catch), the catch can get caught on bag/pants/zippers on the way to the camera, and this results in –invariably- a full pack of film being scattered across the floor of someone’s bedroom.

A lost neko lay down on the tatami to die in the cold alone. Type-665. (75mm).

The back locks can be a little stiff sometimes, and are certainly not as smooth as the Mamiya Universal on which the 600 SE is based. They do however lack a locking function – which I’ve never found as a problem. A light lube fixes sticky back locks in a flash.

The 600 SE back mount is not unique, and can also be found on other removable back cameras such as the Mini Portrait, and the Studio Express (4-lens) – both a useful source of spare backs as these passport photograph cameras are considered junk by many. The mount is similar to the Mamiya Universal, and while 600 SE backs will drop straight onto a Universal, the Universal back will require its mount tang to be notched (I’ve not done this myself).

600 SE Mount.

Mamiya Universal Mount.

Be careful if you are buying a Mini Portrait or Studio Express for spare backs though, as I think the early Mini Portrait has a Graflok back, as does the two-lens Studio Express.

Lens interchangeability is a snap, with the bayonet lock & mount smooth and accurate. Rethreading the pistol grip’s shutter release cable can be fiddly, especially with a lens hoods mounted. As I quite like a bit of flare, and because of this, I’ve ditched my hoods.

Forgetting to remove the dark slide is of course an issue for those not used to this function as part of your shooting routine. `Remove-before-flight` hanging tags eliminated this issue for me.

Full System.

Summary: a very versatile system, sure to build muscles in any street photographer, and probably more suited to a studio as a proofing camera. A great built-to-last tool, but a system I am yet to fall in love with…

Next: who knows as I’ll have to buy something else. Arigato.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with PHOTO LA, it’s a yearly event which takes place at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium every January. Approximately 80 photo galleries from around the globe gather at the auditorium to exhibit and sell their artists. This years collection was extremely impressive.

I thought I’d put together a few of my favorites from the show.

My favorite piece from the show was Bill Jacobson’s New Years Day#4550, 2002. (sadly I can’t post a jpeg of this work since it’s nowhere to be found on the web.

This was the first time I’ve seen a Jacobson print in person and it was stunning. There’s not much about Jacobson on the web, with the exception of this information at his Gallery M+B

Luckily, I was able to locate a copy of Jacobson’s book “Photographs” which I happily purchased. Photo below.

I had the good fortune of viewing three of Andre Miksys Lithunian series “Buses” at an opening a few weeks before Photo LA. And I continued to be drawn to his work at Photo LA. Below is my favorite shot in the series.

Sadly, my favorite new find can’t be found anywhere on the web. Hiroshi Osaka’s toned silver gelatin prints of nude Polaroid diptychs were breathtaking. But you’ll just have to take my word for it, since all I can find was at this link to his Gallery

Mike & Doug Starn made an impressive showing, as always. Their popular snowflake series is beautiful, but I still can’t get enough of Attracted to Light.

Dave Anderson , one of my sentimental favorites, made a big splash with his series Rough Beauty and I couldn’t be happier for his success.

Hiroshi Watanbe (always one of my favorites) introduced his new color series from North Korea at the show. By the way, Hiroshi’s North Korea series was Aperture’s Portfolio Pick For Summer of 06 . Hurray Hiroshi!

Just in case you were wondering about BIGGEST SELLERS….

If I were to take a guess, I’d say Julie Blackmon

And Mona Kuhn appeared to be the hottest sellers at this year’s show.

Roman Loranc made an extremely impressive showing this year. This was one of my favorite photos of his at Photo LA 2007:

Last but not least, Tom Chambers work blows me away and he made an impressive showing at the exhibit. Yes, filmwasters, he’s a digital guy. But of all the digital artists out there, his work never stops amazing me. Personally, I’m dying to own this photo.

There were so many more to mention…There were two Salgado’s I dream of owning, several Keith Carter’s that would look beautiful on my wall…Maggie Taylor…George Tice…etc…

Oh, and before I wrap this up, Alex Soth delivered a great lecture that was one of the highlights of Photo LA.

In case you didn’t know it, Alex has a BLOG which is one of my favorite blog reads. Check it out…

My one and only purchase was this amazing James Fee retrospective book

But without a doubt, the BIGGEST HIGHLIGHT for me at Photo LA 2007 was THIS unexpected surprise. Heck, I only expected to research galleries I wanted to be in, so my visit to Photo LA 07 turned out to be the best birthday present ever (my bday was a few days later).

See you again next year for my Photo LA 2008 wrap-up.

“rabbit parking” 4×5 kallitype, gold toned (white stonehenge rising paper)

 
MAKING THE KALLITYPE:
 
I first got into kallitypes because after doing some research I found that, when toned with platinum/palladium, they can be almost identical to actual platinum/palladium prints only kallitypes can be done at a much more affordable price.  The process is a lengthy one for an alternative processes but the final look is always worth it.
 
The types of papers that I have used so far are platinotype, stonehenge rising and fabriano uno .  All of these particular papers work great and you will soon find your favorite in time.
 
SENSITIZER:
 
Consists of two separate stock solutions. 
 
The first solution, solution A, is a 10% solution of silver nitrate, that is 10 grams to 100 milliliters of distilled water.  I always buy this in liquid form so I don’t have to mix it as it could make your eyeballs fall out, make your fingernails pop off and cause your nose to bleed when it’s in its powdered form.  It’s bad stuff both in powdered form and liquid so be very cautious.  You’ve been warned.
 
The second solution, solution B,  is 20% ferric oxalate.  I would recommend getting this in powdered form as when it is in liquid form it only lasts around 6-7 months.  When it’s in its powdered form it lasts for years.  So plan accordingly.
 
Now you want to mix the solutions in equal parts.  Be sure that each solution has its own dropper so the formulas never mix.  You only want to mix the solutions right before you begin the kallitype process.  I have a little shot glass that I use as my handy little mixing implement.  After I put both solutions in the shot glass (I usually do about 7-9 drops of each for a 5×7 and 15-20 of each for 8×10.  This really depends on your paper as some will be more absorbent than others).  I use a separate dropper to suck up the solution and I place this right at the edge of the paper and then use either a puddle pusher or hake brush to coat the entire area.  You will develop your own method as far as coating the solution, just do what comes natural.
 
After the coating I hang it on a wire and I allow it to dry for about 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes check the paper and be sure that it is entirely dry.
 
UV LIGHTING:
 
Now put the negative and coated paper in a split back frame.  Before this past Christmas, when I finally received a split back frame, I always used two 1⁄4 pieces of glass which worked just as well.  A split back frame just allows for complete image sharpness from the negative and allows you to check the image as it becomes exposed. 
 

split-back frame with an 8×10 digital negative inside
 
After your negative and paper are set, we now have to place them under some kind of UV lighting.  You could simply use the sun as your source or if you’re a night owl, or want a little more control, you could use a UV light source.  I made a UV light box out of some wood we had in our garage and five 7$ UV black lights that were at our local hardware store. 
 

my homemade “UV light-box” (obviously we’ll tip this down when we place the split-back under the lights)

 
I usually give it 9 minutes but I’m sure this will vary according to your papers or other factors.
 
DEVELOPMENT:
 
I almost always develop my prints in 20% sodium citrate.  There are other methods but this is what I’ve been using for over a year now.  I place the print in the bottom of the tray and then pour the developer over the print making sure I cover the whole image area.  Start agitating and do this for 2 minutes.  The developer can be reused but should be replenished.  Pull it out and place it in water that is acidic, I splash some white vinegar in the water bath which works very well.  If this is not done then the next step, clearing the print, will be almost impossible.  It will also start to clear in the water bath making the clearing agent last longer.  After you run one or two prints through the water bath, pour it out and make a new one.
 
CLEARING:
 
This is an important step.  If it is not done your image will get very ugly looking yellow stains on them.  What we are doing is trying to clear off all of the ferrous iron (ferric oxalate) that is left on the print.  This is a 3% solution of citric acid.  Agitate for at least 5 minutes, maybe more if you still notice any yellow in the highlights of your prints.  I then put it in running water for 30 seconds.
 
TONING:
 
This is optional but is an important step if you want total image permanence.  The ferrous iron (ferric oxalate) will eventually oxidize the silver metal (silver nitrate) and the print will weaken in color.  So when we do direct toning the silver metal in the print is replaced with another metal (gold or platinum/palladium) that is resistant to the effects of ferrous iron. I’ve only used the gold toner as it is the cheaper of the toners.  I use 50ml of 1% gold chloride, 50ml of 1% thiourea and 0.5g of tartaric acid mixed in with 1000ml of distilled water.  I then rinse it in running water for about a minute.
 
FIX:
 
I use 50g of sodium thiosulfate, 10g of sodium carbonate and 2g of sodium sulfite in 1000ml of water.  Agitate for 4 minutes and I then rinse it for another minute.
 
FINAL WASH:
 
This takes about an hour.  You can shorten the amount of final wash time by placing the print in a 1% solution of sodium sulfite and then the final wash will only be 20 minutes.
 

“a back alley” dig-neg kallitype, gold toned (cream stonehenge rising paper)

 
Just remember, don’t let any of this threaten you.  Have fun with it and please, screw up.  I don’t want to hear how perfect you did on your first try, I never did it well on the first go round and neither should anyone else.  It is a lot easier to just do it than it is to agonize over, believe me.

Past winners have included academics, scientists, physicians, and artists. Nachtwey is the first photographer to receive one of the awards. Read the entire article.